Year in Review

By James Knight

We've done it again: drunk up every day of a perfectly good year and tossed the empties into the maw of the great recycling bin that shows up, curbside—if we pay our bills. Let's look back at a few of the past year's standout sips and miscellany from Swirl 'n' Spit's travels.

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October Woodenhead knock-knocks us out again with the mouth-watering half-baked raspberry, olallieberry and toasted cocoa-bean pie that is 2006 Martinelli Road Vineyard Zinfandel ($45). Newcomer Truett-Hurst swears that inky 2006 "Burning Man" Petite Sirah ($33) has nothing to do with certain events in the desert, honest.

November 24 Degrees ($18), a crystal-clear, Chardonnay-based, 48-proof spirit for mixing fancy cocktails, is vended from a ramshackle shed in rural Graton.

December A Bohemian panel favors Korbel's can't-go-wrong Brut California Champagne ($11.99) over local rivals. Corks are popped, barrels are topped, vines are lopped, and the whole darn thing gets ready to start
over again.